After seeing several eps go past, and having run out of eps of... well. *Everything* else, I decided to give this show, Endgame, a shot.

Endgame's main character, Arkady Ballugan, is a chess Grand Master who has been struck by agoraphobia after seeing his fiance murdered outside their Vancouver hotel. Arkady is hilarious and awesome, and each of the episodes has managed to believably mix chess, puzzles, and fun. It also has great guest stars (Peter Winfield! As a heavy-drinking Russian cosmonaut in private spaceflight! Who is AWESOME too!), along with a wonderful supporting cast.

I pretty much always love Canadian TV, but this one is a jewel, and clever, too.

See, this is why being a parent is at once awesome, hilarious, and frustrating. I want her to be accepting of people as they are regardless of sexuality (or lack), and I want her to be educated on the biology of sex in all its forms, but DUDE! 9 is too darned young to be watching internet porn.

I blinked at her a couple of times and finally went with: "I have no issue with your interest in lesbianism. I'm happy to answer any questions you have. However, it is totally inappropriate for you to be looking at videos or photos of people making out with each other online."

She looks at me thoughtfully for a moment, then nods and says "Can I look at videos of conjoined twins, then?"

Sean Avery is an ass. He's what's known as a 'yapper' - he uses any insult, any personal information he has to rattle his opponents during a game. He bitches and whines and once memorably stood in front of a goalie waving his arms around to distract him, like he was playing basketball. He once publicly - to the press(!) - trash talked another player who was dating his ex-girlfriend, saying that the player was simply getting his 'sloppy seconds'. He was once traded because no one on his team would play with him, they were so disgusted with his lack of internal censor. As far as I know, he's not really matured past that, either.

But.

He's still a better person than his agency's vice president, who today released a statement publicly condemning Sean... for supporting gay marriages.

Unbelievable.

The NHL has skirted around discussing gay players before, when Brian Burke's (a famous player, coach, and General Manager) son Brendan came out as gay. Sadly, Brendan was killed in a car accident not very much later. However, at this point in time, NO NHL player has ever come out as gay at any time, even after retirement.

I kind of hope that this kerfuffle with Sean's agent publicly denouncing gay marriage (seriously, wtf? They think that's smart?) will get the press asking the players directly how *they* feel, and maybe some actual progress will get made towards a more open future in the sport.

In the meantime (and I am sure my saying this is a sign of the coming apocalypse), GO SEAN!

Title: A Plague of AngelsAuthor:skinscriptFandom: SupernaturalWarnings: NoneRating: GWordcount: 1000Posted to:dark_festPrompt: Any fandom, any characters, I want to hurt you just to hear you screaming my name

dark_fest has begun posting! Dark and delicious stories from many, many fandoms are being posted every day.

I finished one of two prompts I took. Woot! (If you all knew how I'd been struggling to write recently you'd be *thrilled* at this news). It ended up being Supernatural, though I'd expected to write a TVD one. Surprise.

I love watching the game, I love debating the game. Playoff time is one of my favourite things about spring.

But today, well. Maybe not so much.

I just watched the video of Zdeno Chara hitting Max Pacioretty in last night's Boston vs Montreal game, and I feel just sick about it. First of all, the fact that Pacioretty was knocked unconscious and had his neck broken is horrifying. Secondly, the fact that Chara clearly and deliberately shoved Pacioretty's head into a solid stanchion is sickening. The fact that the hit would have been illegal even if they were playing at a safe section of the boards is pretty damned incidental. The fact that so many commentators around the NHL are making this equivalent to a blindside hit, and are discussing things like that Pacioretty wouldn't have been injured if the parition wasn't there, is mind-boggling and downright offensive.

Sure, if the partition wasn't there, Pacioretty wouldn't have been hurt. But it was *because* the stanchion was there that Chara directed his opponent's head at it. The fact that Chara made a deliberate shove, held his arm straight to prevent Pacioretty from being able to swerve away, and put his 6'9", 260 lb frame into driving Pacioretty into the pole - That is the relevant part here. The stanchion is a standard part of the arena. It can't move. Blaming IT for Chara's action is ludicrous. He lifted his head, looked right at it, and then slammed Pacioretty's head into it.

Look - people get hit in hockey all the time. Open-ice hits where a player isn't looking and gets smoked? I disagree with those. Scott Stevens remains one of my most hated players ever because of his tendency to crush forwards with open ice hits. Players fall into the boards and hit their heads; players hit each other and get concussions too. Players get struck by the puck and hit from behind. There are hundreds of ways to get hurt. I get that shit happens. It's a hard game - a dangerous one - and concussions are a part of it.

THIS, though? This is something completely different, in my book. This is a player who in the heat of the moment lost control, and who reacted in a way that very, very easily could have killed Pacioretty. Chara in my experience isn't a bad guy. He's not a hothead, though he is a passionate player, and he's someone I largely respect. Though, frankly, hearing him try and lay some of the blame for the injury on Pacioretty for leaving his feet while being shoved by someone seven inches taller and seventy pounds heavier has made me lose a lot. I'm sure that there are people out there saying "it was a momentary lapse! Chara's played in the league for over 15 years without a previous history of dirty play! Does he really deserve to be heavily punished for one little mistake?"

Damned right he does. I don't care how nice he is or how good he's been before. I don't care who he hit. I'm not a Montreal fan nor do I hate Boston. I have no emotional investment in either of the teams.

I don't care how much he hopes Pacioretty isn't badly hurt or if he's sorry. Though, again, I haven't so far seen much to indicate that he is.

Anyone who can so callously attempt to injure and possibly kill an opposing player 'in the heat of the moment', in a game as dangerous and full of hot moments as hockey, shouldn't be playing.

And that's a fact, too.

ETA: So the NHL has decided that there should be no punishment or suspension for Chara. I am so freaking disgusted by this that I think I am done with the NHL.

After rewatching "Rome", I have rediscovered my love of watching James Purefoy work. He's always the best thing about whatever he's in.

So I went and found some other shows and movies I hadn't seen, and I'm here to recommend "Bedrooms and Hallways", also starring Kevin McKidd. I've seen Kevin in several other things, not least "Rome", but I've never seen him play any other role like this one. I haven't had a chance to finish watching yet (I have to keep stopping so that I don't wake anyone with my laughing), and there is every chance that the movie ends in tears and a journey, but it's been a lot of fun so far.

I mean, it contains half-naked cavorting around a campfire! It has *man-groups* and Inuit rooms and Kevin McKidd's descriptions of James Purefoy turning people gay! It has Hugo Weaving sexxing men in peoples' for-sale houses (Nekkid pool sex with inflatable pink rafts for flotation!) (After all, what else is an estate agent to do??) I'm half way through and it's mind-bendingly funny, and I have the sinking suspicion that it will be heartwarming too.

Title: The Lies We LiveAuthor:skinscriptFandom: The Vampire Diaries (Show'verse)Rating: GeneralWarning: Mentions of canon events including non-conSpoilers: Season 1, Season 2 though 2.12Wordcount: 1500Posted to:tvd_ficChallenge: Written for Vampire Diaries Exchange, recipient eenaangel